Airplane landing and launching mechanism



Dec. 15, 1931. Q AUDRAIN 1,836,010

AIRPLANE LANDING AND muncume MECHANISM Filed May 2, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iii II. M ii J? ATTORNEY 7 i E INVENTQOR f 5 Comfort 14 .Hudrai/Z 1 I BY Dec. 15, 1931. c, AUDRAIN 1,836,010

AIRPLANE LANDING AND LAUNCHING MECHANISM Filed May 2, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @EHEHHHE EEHHHHHE 24 ATTORNEY Dec. 15, 1931. c, AUDRMN 1,836,010

AIRPLANE LANDING AND LAUNCHING MECHANISM Filed May 2, 1950 s sheets-sheet s lNVENTOR 2- 9 "L3- BY m.

Patented Dec. 15. 1931 1,856,010

UNITED STATES PATENT oF Ica I oons'rm'r A. aunmnz, or mun, can; I

Application fled Kay 2, 1980. Serial No. 449,235.

This invention relates to improved means Referring to Fi s. 1 to 6 inclusive, the airfor facilitating the launching and landing plane 1 is provi edsee particularly Fig. of aircrafts from the tops of buildings, from 4on the upper part thereof and near its the decks of ships or from other places where center of gravity with a bracket 2 carrying a landing field of ample area is not available. a pivoted bar 3 with a cross bar 4 at its up- 5;;

One object of this invention is'to provide per end- The outer extremities of the'cross improved means for facilitating the landing bar 4 are fitted with rollers or wheels 5,-and of heavier than air machines in restricted springs 6 are provided for retaining the bar. spaces and for facilitating the take-off of v 3 yieldingly in asubs'tantially vert1cal.posim such machines. A further object of this'in- -tion relatively-to the airplane andthe dotted ,eo vention is to provide improved landing and lines atF-ig. 4 show how the parts-'3, maylaunching means on' the tops of buildings and move when submitted'to side pressure. 1 the like with improved means for the engage- When the airplane 1 is supported from I ment and suspension of the machine. the structure the said wheels 5 rest upon- 1 5 With these and other objects in view, the parallel rails 7 consisting ofchannel bars: as invention consists in the novel construction arranged with their webs facing each other as and arrangement of parts hereinafter deshown at Figs. 5 and 6. -These rails 7are'i: scribed, illustrated in the accompanying supported by brackets "8 from=projecting drawings, and particularly pointed out in the beams 9 carried by the supports 10 mounted If.

appended claims, it being understood that on the roof of the building 11. As is clearly various changes in the form, construction shown at Fig. 2' the rails 7 are: inclined and" and details may be made without departing (see Fig. 3) are flared away from each other I from the spirit of the invention or sacrificat the lower orreceiving end-12 of therails In t e drawings Fig. 1 is an end view of therod 13 between'the rails 7- andiasthe showing one form of my improved landing or Wheels '5 are brought to bear 'on the upper launching gear attached to the top of a buildsurfaces of the rails 7 the momentum. of the ing and showing an airplane suspended airplane is reduced by the inclinedirails and therefrom; Fig. 2 is a side View showing a in order to prevent backward movement :of 30 part of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view showthe airplane after it has been brought to rest,

ing part of the same apparatus; Fi 4 is a, the surfaces of the rails 7 are provldedwith detail view of the attachment carrie by the stop de ss Figs. 5 and 6consistingi airplane; Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively end of the pivotedmembers 13 which are each and plan views showing the rails for engagheld yieldinglyagainst stop 'pins 14 by a :5 ing the part shown at Fig. 4; Fi 7 is an sprlng 15 so that'as the wheels 5'move up the end view of a modified form of my landing inclined rails 7 the members 13 swing against and launchin gear hown atta h d t the, the action of the springs 15 but backward top of a buil ing; Fig, 8 i an enlar d 1 movement of the wheels 5 is prevented by tail view showing part of the g ar i1 u t tthe stop pins 14 which prevent themembers 40 ed at Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a side view looking on 13 from swinging backwardly. the right hand side of Fig. 7 and showing Referring to Figs. 7 to 10 of the drawan airplane sus ended from the supporting ings, an enclosed inclined trackway 16-is supmeans; Fig. 10 1s a detail view of the engagported by proj ecting arms 17 mounted on sup-V ing member attachedtothe airplane; Fig. 11 ports 18 on the roof of the building 19. 46 is a front view of a modified structure with This enclosed trackway 16 supports a car-- an 3111318116 suspended therefrom; Fig. 12 riage 20, having suspendedtherefrom a bar 1s a side view showing a sh1p carrying a 21 carrying a tnan lar or other closed structure according to this invention and or frame 22 ada te tobeengaged by a hook Fig. 13 1s a plan view corresponding to Fig. device 23 'ri 'd y or yieldin ly mourted on- 50 12. the top of t e airplane. is hook device 100 "ing any of the advantages thereof. 7 The flared ends 12 facilitate introduction comprises two forwardly extending jaws 23, 24 extending away from each other at their forward ends so as to facilitate introduction of the member 23 into the. frame 22, as the airplane is in flight. In order to prevent accidental detachment of the hook device 23, from the frame 22 a spring gate or pawl 24- see Fig. 10is provided. 'This pawl being adapted to yield against the action of thespring 25 as the hook device engages the frame and to then ensure against accidenta disengagement.

In the structure shown at ,Fig. 11 a fixed support 26 carries a rotary beam structure 27 having suspended from each of its outer ends a pivoted bar 28 carrying a triangular or other open frame 29 adapted to be engaged by a hook device 30 on the airplane, the arrangement being such that when the airplane is brought into engagement with the frame 29 the momentum of the plane causes the beam structure 27 to rotate about the vertical center line of the supporting structure 26 so that the airplane is brought to rest.

In the arrangement illustrated at Figs. 12 and 13 an upright structure 31 has a base or carriage mounted on rails or guides 32 on the deck 33 of a ship 34 so that the structure 31 may be shifted from place to place on the deck of the ship to suit circumstances and conditions. The structure 31 supports a rotary beam structure 35 having pivoted bars 36 carrying depending frame structures 37 for engagement by hook devices on the airplane.

The frame devices 29, 37 of Figs. 11 and 12 respectively may be of any convenient shape or structure and are preferably secured to their supporting structures 26-29 respectively in such manner that they may swing or yield in one or more directions for the from the inclined rails, and means on an airplane for penetrating such frame to suspend the airplane therefrom.

3. Airplane landing and launching mechanism comprising an upright structure, lateral supports extending therefrom, an inclined trackway carried by said lateral supports, a carriage on said trackway, means for preventingmovement of the carriage in one direction, and means suspended from the carriage for engaging the airplane.

4. Airplane landing and launching mechanism comprising lateral supporting means, a pair of inclined rails carried by said means, a carriage on said rails, a suspended frame beneath said rails, means extending between the rails and connecting the carriage with said frame, and means on the airplane for engaging said frame.

5. Airplane landing and launching mechanism comprising an upright structure, lat eral supports extending therefrom, a frame device movable relatively to the upright structure, and means on an airplane comprising a member for penetrating said frame, means for guiding said member into said frame and means for preventing accidental disengagement of said member from the frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

o. A. AUDRAIN.

purpose of taking up the shock when these frames are engaged by the airplane.

Although the drawings and the above specification disclose the best mode in which I have contemplated embodying my invention. I desire to be in no way limited to the details of such disclosure for in the further practical application 'of my invention many changes in form and construction may be made as circumstances require or experience suggests without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Airplane landing and launching mechanism comprising lateral supporting means, guide rails thereon, a frame carried on said guide rails, and means on the airplane for penetrating the said frame to suspend the airplane therefrom.

2. Airplane landing and launching mechanism comprising upright means, lateral suports carried thereby, inclined rails carried y the lateral supports, a frame suspended 

